Many individuals have hectic schedules that leave little time to read newspapers, magazines and books. Some individuals get their news from broadcast radio while driving in their cars. However, broadcast radio is programmed for a mass audience and not to the specific interests of each listener.
Some areas have radio broadcasts that serve the blind and visually impaired. In these radio broadcasts, portions of newspapers and magazines are read aloud by a volunteer or a staff member of the broadcast service. The spoken words are typically transmitted in a sub-carrier of a radio station in the area. Since each newspaper or magazine may have only a 30-minute or 60-minute time slot, the listeners have access to only a few of the articles therein.